general problems of the 2021 Toyota Highlander - part 2

I am writing about my 2021 Toyota Highlander xle awd VIN # [xxx] . I purchased this vehicle brand new on 3/29/2021 at ‘koons easton Toyota’ in easton, MD. In October 2025 I started hearing whining noise from the engine compartment. It was audible only when accelerating the vehicle and would go away if I took my foot off the accelerator. On 10/22/2025, I took the vehicle for inspection to ‘ourisman Toyota 40’ dealership in edgewood, MD. The technician told me that this is a known issue in this model/year and recommended to replace transmission as there was no other fix. He gave me a $9,995 estimate for transmission replacement. I subsequently learned that there was technical service bulletin on this exact defect released by Toyota on 2/9/2021. It said that models with ua80f transmission will make whining noise and then fail. The only remedy was to replace the transmission with brand new transmission part number 30500-0e160. This bulletin was posted on NHTSA website also. [xxx] this bulletin was released 50 days before I purchased the brand-new vehicle on 3/29/2021. My frustration and disappointment came from the fact that Toyota had known about this issue for 50 days and still proceeded to sell this vehicle to me. This is unacceptable as there should have been a recall on this defect or Toyota should have pulled the vehicle from the market. This is not about the powertrain warranty running out as that would apply to unforeseen issues that neither manufacturer nor buyer knew about in advance. It is about knowingly selling the customer a defective product even after disclosing the major defect publicly. Transmission failure can be a serious safety issue because it could have caused sudden loss of power and difficulty controlling speed. I request NHTSA to investigate these widespread Highlander transmission issues the same way Ford f150 transmission issues are being investigated. Thanks information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

There is a known transmission issue with some 2021 Toyota Highlanders, avalons, and camrys. Toyota bulletin t-sb-008-21 from February of 2021 states 'some 2021 model year avalon, Highlander, and camry vehicles equipped with ua80e or ua80f transmissions may exhibit a whine or grind noise from the transmission. This condition may be caused by an issue with the front carrier assembly pinion shafts'. I have a 2021 Highlander with 127,000 miles that started to show this whine noise. Local transmission shop confirms that a new transmission is needed. I am taking it to a local Toyota dealer next week to confirm. I started a case online with Toyota USA, and since I'm over warranty, they started that will not assist with reimbursement. My complaint is how came a recall was not done on this? why did Toyota do nothing and now many of their customers with these vehicles face costly repairs ($7,000 - $12,000)? Toyota should at least reimburse their customers for some of the cost of the repair needed for this, even if out of warranty.

Hearing a whining noise when I step on the gas pedal. The Toyota dealership informed me I need a new transmission on a 4 year old vehicle with about 88,000 miles on it. Toyota said because there is no recall, they will not cover the replacement.

66,564 miles, transmission slipped and caused a delay in power, now it has a big high pitched whine and continues to do it. This looks to be a big problem across the board for 2021 Highlanders.

Transmission began producing a whine sound at 58k and slipped several times. . A transmission that slips could cause a wreck involving all passengers. Requires replacement. No warning lamps. Show some integrity Toyota and stand behind your products.

Noticed 2021 Toyota Highlander start whining around 85000 miles. Did some research on the sound and found that Toyota ua80f transmissions have all had the same issue and issued a TSB to their dealerships but not people who purchased the car. Warranty runs out and now you are on the hook for an 10k transmission replacement or risk your car breaking down at any point on the road. Car was inspected today by Toyota to receive the quote to fix at 10400 with no discussion of possible remedies for their defective transmissions. The exact quote would be "that's not our problem, you have to take it up with Toyota office, bud". So now we have a ticking time bomb on the road with the only remedy to pay 10400 to replace a defected transmission that was covered in other recalls by the same company.

Slipping and whining transmission while driving in the ozark mountains on [xxx]. I didn't feel I had full control of the vehicle. No warnings of any kind. Took the vehicle to saint charles Toyota service department on 10/2/25 where a bad transmission diagnosis was confirmed. Regards, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Transmisson started whining and slipping at 61000 miles. 1k miles out of warrenty. Even though Toyota has a service bulletin about knowing my exact year and serial number transmisson will go bad. No recall issued and they want 9k for a repair. Rick mcgill Toyota on alcoa highway knoxville tennensse diagnosed it.

Making a whinnig noise while accelerating.

2021 Toyota Highlander 87000 miles began making humming noise when stepping on gas and goes away when foot off gas. Toyota said metal shavings in transmission fluid and we need new transmission. We have made appointment to replace. No warning lights. No incident just filing complaint.

Vehicle had a very loud high pitch whining noise the rapid accelerated I was braking and brakes were not working vehicle screen was flashing vehicle malfunction. Yes vehicle is available. I could not stop the vehicle I struck three signs and a lady fell down as I was approaching the the building very fast, hit a wrought iron black fence and it fell on a park vehicle and then I hit a park vehicle and it stop I threw it in park. I am not sure. Insurance company after the vehicle accelerated there was a message saying vehicle malfunction, not before the accident.

At 65,000 miles, the transmission has developed a "whining" sound consistent with TSB t-sb-0008-21.

Entering the freeway a mile from home the car would not properly excellerate, only reachind 40 mph before exiting the freeway in favor backroads to my appointment. Shaking back and forth while driving, exacerbated when braking and coming to stop, I needed to put the car into neutral to calm down the shaking while waiting for the light to change. I just went through experiencing a brake failure and reporting of that to this agency and now see another of many defects associated with the 2020-2022 Toyota Highlanders and siennas Toyota is not addressing through recalls as they should be, and further frustrated this agency has or chooses to have no means by which to enforce Toyota's responsibility to the public.

Transmission failed and makes whining noise.

Started hearing a whining noise when I would accelerate and then my car bucked a couple of times. I brought it into Toyota on 8/07/25 to be checked out and I was told that my transmission would need to be replaced. My car is 4 years old, bought brand new in April of 2021 and have kept up on regular maintenance. In researching this I am finding out that there is a large number of people who are experiencing this same thing with their Highlanders. I have also come to find out that in February of 2021 there was a TSB put out with regards to this same issue. This was 2 months before I even purchased my car. It for some reason does not include every vehicle and only some vehicles are included leaving others with this problem out of luck. I do not understand how that can be. If I have that ua80f transmission in my car and that is what is being named as one of the transmissions that have this problem then why is that certain vehicles are not being taken care of and why is Toyota not issuing a recall? my warranty has expired so I am being expected to pay out of pocket $8,000 (not including labor) and on top of that they do not even have the parts as they are on back order. We have to hold Toyota responsible for this.

Whine when accelerating. Toyota has released a TSB 0008-21 indicating to replace transmission due to incorrect installation of a retaining clip on a nut securing differential in place. Nut can become loose and stuck in gears of internals of transmission causing transmission to lock up while driving. This will cause loss of power and could result in an accident. Toyota is aware of the issue but refuses to make repairs due to vehicle being outside of powertrain warranty. Toyota has extended warranty to 10 years on 2017 and 208 model years however the problem still exist in 2017-2024 model years with the same transmission ua80e/ua80f.

Complete failure of transmission at approximately 53k miles. No warnings. No lights. Car had just had its 50k miles service appointment. My safety and that of my family was jeopardized when I unknowingly took this car to/from our family vacation out of state- the gears started jumping a few days after we returned, quickly followed by the grinding, whining noises. Come to find out there is a service bulletin that has been out for 4 years! t-sb- 0008-21 issued on February 9, 2021, for select 2021 Highlander models equipped with a ua80e or ua8of. 8-speed automatic transmission. Why wasn't this a recall? how is this not a safety issue? why wasn't this disclosed by Toyota when I was sold a car with 30k miles on it for $35k miles?.

Our vehicle has 72k miles at normal use- no towing or off roading. Due to a whining noise we took in the vehicle at a Toyota dealer and after a $200 diagnostic fee concluded we need a new transmission priced at $10,800. There was no explanation/diagnosis summary- just we need a new transmission.

Vehicle starts to produce humming and whining sounds as speed picks up from underneath the vehicle, likely from the transmission/final drive gear area. This problem is consistent and persistent. The whining noise stops when the throttle is released and will resume as throttle is engaged. More reported cases of transmission failure, sudden lost of propulsion and grinding noise are found on public forums. Toyota issued a service bulletin about this problem. Toyota issued extended warranty to prior model years from 2016 to 2017 of the same issue. This will affects millions of Toyota sold with the ua80, ua80e and ua80f transmissions in the us.

At 119,000 miles, the ua80f transmission in our 2021 Toyota Highlander xse started making a whining noise. A dealer confirms the transmission needs to be replaced. After much research, this is apparently a known issue and Toyota will not warranty the repair after the 60,000 mile warranty expires. Estimated repair cost is $11,000.

Winning sound coming from the transmission - upon seeking information online I was able to find a service bulletin from 2021 that addresses the issue - I see a large number of posts online with people having the same issue - the only solution is a transmission replacement - Toyota should be made to do a recall on these vehicles.

There is a known defect with transmissions in certain model years of Toyota cars, mine being one of them, per this TSB: [xxx] the transmission can catastrophically fail but Toyota will not replace the defective part unless the vehicle is still under warranty. I had the Toyota dealer verify that the transmission is beginning to fail and requires replacement. The transmission has begun to emit a "whining" noise. Should the transmission fail catastrophically during operation, it could cause a sudden loss of power, seize a drive wheel, or another event causing a loss of vehicle control. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Whine noise when vehicle is in motion and accelerating. Took it to the dealer for inspection, and advise to replace the transmission.

Upon inspection at my local Toyota dealership, the ua80f 8-speed transmission on my 2021 Toyota Highlander has a known whining noise attributed to a failed transmission pump. The whining noise occurs when the car accelerates from 0 to around 50 miles per hour. When it gets to highway speeds, there is no noise. Anyone in the car can be put at risk if the transmission stops functioning on the roadways, and we're left stranded or we're suddenly blocking traffic. This issue is a known issue according to t-sb-0008-21, and there are many people online who seemed to have encountered this issue even beyond the warranty limits of 5 years/60,000 miles. Even my local aamco tells me that this is a dreaded and known issue of past customers. This issue first appeared around the 60,000 miles of distance traveled. There is no warning for this problem. You just have to be fortunate enough to discover the noise before the warranty deadlines. I discovered the noise at around 58,000 miles around June 2025, but I didn't know it was an issue back then. Had I known about this, I would've still qualified for the warranty. This noise has been reproduced and confirmed by my local Toyota dealership, and they're quoting me $11,506. 53 to fix this issue. Other 3rd party transmission shops are quoting me ~$6,000. I'm frankly frustrated that Toyota did not issue a recall for this known issue that I did not cause. I wanted to drive this car for life, but I'm unsure what to do now. Either pay an exorbitant amount of money or sell it.

My transmission started whining at 63,000 miles and my mechanic said it needs to be replaced. However, there is a nationwide backorder on Toyota transmissions. That should be a sign to NHTSA that this is a widespread issue and needs a recall! of course this was right after the 60,000 mile Toyota warranty. I have extended warranty but it doesn't cover consultations or taxes.

I have a high pitched whine noise during acceleration from the transmission area. The noise gets louder with acceleration but goes away immediately when I take my foot off the gas pedal and starts again when you press the gas pedal again.

The transmission is making a whining noise when accelerating. I took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership and they said the transmission needs to be replaced. And I asked why the Highlander only has 58 thousand miles on it. How is it already going out. And they couldn’t give me an answer.

Transmission in our 2021 Toyota Highlander required a full replacement due to a known part defect (front carrier assembly front pinion shaft). Toyota will not cover any portion of the $8k cost. In looking into the issue, this is very widespread with even our dealership confirming four transmission replacements by customers in a short period of time. The transmission is also back ordered (ours took 3 months), but the dealership has seen up to six months. I am guessing this is do to the high demand.

The transmission has gone out on my 2021 Highlander. It was inspected by the Toyota dealer. I was told by them that this is a known issue with these trucks. There are no warning lights but just a whine when driving the car and I believe it does put my safety as well as other at risk as this could go out at any moment.

Transmission failure.

The transmission has a whining, grinding noise and occasional jerks vehicle. I had dealership look at the vehicle and they said it's a problem with this model but Toyota has not done a recall they issued a service bulletin. I was told it needs replacement but Toyota has been reluctant to work with owners outside of the service manufacturers warranty. This proved true, I was denied any goodwill assistance, and after several days of requesting why they denied any assistance, I'm not able to get an answer. This is a safety issue that they are aware of and not taking proper acceptance and assistance in rectifying. We carry our new born and toddler grandchildren in this vehicle as well as elderly parents. The thought of a total transmission failure on a busy highway or street is terrifying, I asked the dealership service manager about the safety of driving the vehicle and he recommended not operating it until it's replaced. In my[xxx] I haven't asked the government for anything, but I am asking you to look into this matter and if called for mandate a recall. . Thanks [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

In may 2021 I purchased my Highlander xle with 5 miles on the odometer. In Feb 2021 dealerships were notified of Toyota technical service bulletin (t-sb-0008-21) dated Feb 2021 was a problem. I have never been notified of the TSB for transmission whine/grinding noise. At approximately 75,000 miles (out-of-warranty) and regular servicing, my vehicle developed a noticeable whine from the transmission. Now at 102,000 miles I am stuck with a transmission replacement ($7500-$9000) looming at sometime in the future. Very disappointed. I have been reprimanded by grandkids that "you drive like a grandpa" so, I am not hard on my vehicles. My 1993 chevy s10 had over 388. 000 miles when sold. It was solid!. I think Toyota should be forced to do the right thing and cover any cost of replacement and temporary rental. Seems replacements are back ordered for months!.

Transmission makes whine noise upon accelerating. Cannot be fixed except with new transmission. The longer you drive, the longer it affects and damages other parts. Mechanic was amazed that my relatively new Toyota needed over $10k in repairs. Toyota denying there’s a problem.

Routine maintenance was done 5000 miles ago. Routine maintenance. At 50,151 miles and routine 50,000 mile maintenance a whistling/whining sound was noted. I was told a new transmission is needed. Please make this a recall. Please make Toyota stop changing out transmissions at 50,000 miles on the regular. There is a known TSB, but so many VIN's are outside of this range experiencing the exact same issue that it is inconceivable that Toyota doesn't know they have a problem. Having a warranty that covers it is a band-aid. The wear and tear on the overall engine and parts due to transmission failure means they are knowingly selling cars that will fail. Why isn't it told to every buyer to expect transmission failure at 30-50,000 miles at the time of purchase? tell us and then let us decide if that is how we want to invest our money in our cars. My first Toyota and my last. And what is worse, the NHTSA knows about all these incidents and just lets it ride. We have lost the consumer in the values we hold as a country. Insurance doesn't mean insurance. Transmissions are only worth 30-50,000 miles when it should be 200,000+ by now. Quality standards are there for a reason. Having a powertrain warranty that protects the manufacturing is not how it was intended. Force Toyota to fix this issue. Stop selling cars with flawed transmissions. I feel taken advantage of and am stuck with a car I no longer want, (because as the service advisor said, "if it happens again, you will still be covered at no cost to you?!") - this is not ethical or technically sound.

My transmission is failing in my 2021 Toyota Highlander. Has started making the high pitched whining noise. Fix is to replace the whole transmission. Dealer has confirmed and does have the transmission on order.